How to recognise the signs of burnout – and how to treat it
As agents reveal to TTG they are struggling with work-life balance and some even fear they are nearing burnout, what can you do if you fear that’s where you, or a colleague, is headed...
It’s a popular turn of phrase... "I’m burned out," and one that certainly resonates with travel agents in the modern era but what does it actually mean?
Burnout is “chronic stress”, says Kelly Swingler, HR leader coach and author of Mind the Gap: A story of Burnout, Breakthrough and Beyond. But the habit we have for saying “I’m burned out” has not helped bring clarity to the definition. “The closer we get to actual burnout, the less likely we are to recognise it in ourselves,” she says.
In 2019 the World Health Organisation defined burnout as “an occupational phenomenon” but speaking from personal experience, Swingler says it’s more than just what we experience at work. “When you experience high levels of stress for a long period of time, the answer is not just that you need a spa day, a holiday, more sleep.
MORE: Is the travel trade burned out?
“We all need healthy everyday normal stresses. We talk about these as being motivational. But there’s a scale of stress. Up to the halfway point on that scale, we can make lifestyle changes that will help us – take more breaks, go on holiday – but the closer we get to that pinnacle where it tips into burnout, we don’t recognise that what we are feeling is actually burnout. We don’t want people to think we are failing so we are driven by the fight or flight state that causes us to keep going.”
This is the most dangerous point, she says, for small business owners and those with high-levels of responsibility at work.
“Your fear is you can’t delegate, you’re short on money, you can’t employ anybody else. It’s totally understandable. But you have to make a plan, because if you don’t, the consequences to your livelihood will be even greater.”
Expert tips from Kelly Swingler:
If you recognise signs of burnout in a colleague / employee
It’s important to signpost burnout. Use industry talks (Swingler spoke at WTM last year); podcasts; articles and books as reference points. Sharing other people’s stories can help with the education piece. Burnout is a bit of a buzzword – sometimes we say ‘I’m burned out’ but we actually mean we’re exhausted. The more we talk about lived experiences, the more we can recognise the warning signs.
If you’re suffering burnout
Seek help
Speak to a professional – a doctor, a therapist, a counsellor, a coach – it can be really difficult to understand burnout unless you have experienced it. A family member or friend may offer a sympathetic ear but nobody really gets it unless they’ve been through it and they will be more likely to say ‘you’ll feel better after a holiday”.
Research shows there are long-lasting impacts to burnout. It can take up to three years to recover. It is trauma, it has the same impact.
Take a break
It may be tempting to continue at work, perhaps by reducing your workload. Kelly advises against this, based on her own experiences. Our brains don’t understand doing less, she says. “You’re either on or you’re off.”
“Yes you can carry on, as I did, but I had two operations within 48 hours and I now live with three life-long health conditions because I didn’t recognise my own burnout signs in time. If you get to the point where you can’t function, you’re not going to have a business to return to, so step away while you can.”
To help prevent burnout or to speed up your recovery, there are three things you should do, she advises:
Be clear on who you are
What are you drivers, your passions and values? Why have they pushed you so hard? It’s not easy to see all this clearly when you’re in a state of stress. Being clear about your values can help making the right decisions for you and your business easier and less stressful to deal with.
Set boundaries
Do this both at home and work. It’s not just about saying no. It’s about protecting your energy and your time. Work out where you might need more support, where you can delegate and where you can ask friends and family to help.
Make time for yourself
As our stress increases, the first things we let slide are pastimes that make us feel great – doing a yoga class, going swimming, spending time with friends. When we make time for ourselves and spend time doing things we love, that helps us to recharge. So go for that morning swim at 5am. Even though it feels tough to do first thing in the morning, you know you’ll feel better after. Spend time painting a picture if that’s your thing. Give yourself permission to take that time for yourself.
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